warm welcome to general chuck dempsey,neral accompanied by the department comptroller undersecretary bob hale, for being on the department of defense fiscal year 2014. we welcomet secretary hagel on his first appearance as secretary of defense before the committee. we thank all of our witnesses for their service to our nation and to the soldiers, sailors, and marines at home and in harm's way, we can never say that enough. your st today is a key component of the committee's review of the two dozen 14 budget request for the department of defense. this year's request includes $526.60 billion for the base and $88.50 billion for overseas contingency operations , although, as your testimony notes, the number is simply a place holder figure pending final force level and deployment decisions. the future of the defense budget is in flux due to congress's failure to reduce the deficit by $1.20 to land. the dod funding for 2013 was reduced b sequestration in the amountf $41 billion. unless congress acts, the fiscal year 2014 dod budget will be cut $15 billiononal for 2014 and also the budgets pass